Safety head and track for traveling ladders



Apr. 3, 1923. 1,450,430.- F. w. CORNELL.

SAFETY HEAD AND TRACK FOR TRAVELING LADDERS.

FILED AUG-7. 1920.

when:

Patented Apr..3, 1923.

c h i umrso STATES PATENT OFFICE. f

I renew. CORNELL, or ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI. V

SAFETY HEAD AND TRACK FOR TRAVELING LADDERS.

Application filed Au ust- 7 1920. Serial nois oteo. v}

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED W. CoRNnnL, a citizen of the United States, and resident of St. Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri,

have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Safety Heads and Tracks for Traveling Ladders, of which the following is a complete specification.

The present invention relates to ladders, and particularly to that type of ladder which is used in stores or stock rooms, and aims to provide an improved safety-head structure for ladders of this type, as Well as an improved form of track of special design for my improved form of safety-head.

lVith this object in view, the invention comprises a track structure which is formed with upper and lower track-ways, and a ladder, the upper end of which is provided with grooved rollers arranged for travel along both said track-ways.

The invention further comprises a ladder and track structure in which the ladder is adapted to be permitted a limited degree of vertical movement for accommodating any ordinary unevenness in the ground or floor which supports the lower end of the ladder,

for which purpose the ladder is provided with a roller connection with the trackways allowing the necessary relative play between the trackway and the head of the ladder.

With the foregoing general objects in view, the invention will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating one form of construction which I have devised for embodying the proposed improvements, after which the novel fea tures therein will be particularly set forth and claimed.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a side view showing the upper end or head portion of a ladder provided with a safety-head and tracks constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same, with the wood-work of the ladder broken away; and

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the said drawing in detail, this illustrates in Figure 1 the main frame or body portion t of the ladder in the usual inclined position, and provided at its upper end with strap irons 5 arranged in pairs at the opposite sides of the ladder, and secured thereto by means of any suitable fastening such as the screws 6 The strap.

irons 5 at each side of the ladder terminate in eyes or loops 7 for receiving and-mounting a vertical post 8, the 'opposite ends of which are secured within the eyes or loops 7 by means of pins 9. The posts 8 are for the purpose of providing a vertical sliding connection between the head of theladder and a pair of bearing frames 10 which are connected by pairs of transverse bars 12 by means of eye-bolts 14, having the eyes 15 adapted for slidingly engagingthe vertical posts 8. As shown, the bolts 14 are arranged in pairs, one at each end of each of the bearing frames 10, and each of said bolts 14: is provided with a grooved roller 16 journaled upon said bolts within the frame 10, as clearly illustrated in Figure 1.

The pairs of rollers 16 are arranged with the rollers of each pair spaced apart the required distance for accommodating the same upon the opposite sides of a track member 17, having the upper and lower flanges 18, thus forming a pair of trackways for rolling engagement with both the upper and lower rollers 16. Preferably, the said track flanges 18 are provided with round edges, as shown in Figure 1, for more effectively fitting within the concave grooves of the rollers 16. i

From the above description, it will be understood that the ladder 4 is securely held in the desired inclined position with reference to the track 17, which track may be of any desired length, and secured in fixed position by means of a series of hangers 20, secured to the woodwork or wall, and having bolts or other fastening means 21 for engagement with the track 17. While thus secured in proper angular relation to the track 17, the-ladder is at the same time permitted free movement along the track 17 by virtue of the rolling engagement of the roll-. ers 16 with the track flanges 18. 'Another point of advantage lies in the provision of i ladder and the parts connecting it with the track, since the sliding of the bolt-eyes 15' upon the posts 8 permits the ladder to have any required vertical movement with reference to the track due to any irregularities in the ground or floor level, and this provision for the play of the ladder just referred to is such as to in no way disturb the operative connections between the ladder and the track, the same being held firmly and securely connected at all times and at all points along the track regardless of any ordinary vertical shifting movements of the ladder, as will be readily understood.

I claim A traveling ladder and track structure comprising a trackmemher provided with upwardly and downwardly projecting track flanges, an inclined ladder provided with a pair of vertical posts fixedly secured to the upper end thereof, a pair of connected hearing frames provided with eyes slidingly engaging said posts, and a pair of grooved rollers journaled in each of said frames in rolling engagement with both of said track flanges.

In witness whereof, I hereto affix my signature.

FRED W. CORNELL. 

